How To Get Kids To Share Their Feelings About Living With ADHD
You ask your child how he feels and despite his grumpy tone, slamming things on the counter, and gruff demeanor, he says,”fine.”
Your child gets off the bus and you know something happened at school as she retreats to the basement with headphones on.
You notice that lately your son has come home early from activities and does not reach out to his friends. Instead, he spends most of his time playing video games by himself.
Your daughter seems to be down — a mix of sad and anxious. You’re worried that if you broach the subject of school and friends, she’ll reject your advice outright.
It’s hard to be a parent today. It’s harder to be a kid.
Watching your kids go through hard times is a right of passage we all face as parents. As much as we wish we had the magic answers, sometimes, all we can do is watch as our kids struggle with their feelings.
Whether it’s friends (or a lack of friendships), feeling misunderstood, poor grades, or other social challenges in school, kids with ADHD have deeper burdens on their shoulders than many of their peers.
Despite the neurotypical experience being socially accepted and embraced in some communities, often kids still feel left out and ostracized. Why seemingly “normal” challenges are so difficult is a pain most parents wish they could take away.
I’ve thought about this a lot. Helping parents understand what they can, and can’t do for their kid is a big part of my books and my work.